Terra Nova High School (California)

Terra Nova High School is an American public high school in Pacifica in San Mateo County, California, United States. It serves grades 9 through 12 as part of the Jefferson Union High School District.

Not to be confused with Terra Nova High School (Oregon).
Terra Nova High School
Location
1450 Terra Nova Boulevard
Pacifica, California 94044
Information
TypePublic High School
MottoHome of Scholars and Champions
Established1961
School districtJefferson Union High School District
PrincipalMegan Carey
Faculty40.55 (FTE)[1]
Number of students812 (2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio20.02[1]
CampusSuburban
Color(s)Black   and Gold  
Team nameTigers
RivalHalf Moon Bay High School
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Terra Nova High School was established in 1961 to serve the growing population in the Linda Mar district of southern Pacifica. Students attended from Vallemar, Rockaway Beach, Mori Point, Fairway, Sharp Park and Pacific Manor districts until Oceana High School was completed the following year.

Campus

The original buildings and campus were designed by Mark Falk & Corwin Booth (of Falk & Booth). The main building originally had only two stories when the school opened in 1961. Portables were added to the rear of the school campus to accommodate the increase in students and need for more classrooms. A major facilities remodel was completed in 1998, and construction of a 400+ seat theater and a new science building began in early 2010 and was completed in 2012.

Entrance to the high school

Demographics
WhiteLatinoAsianAfrican AmericanPacific IslanderAmerican IndianTwo or more races
38%30%14%2%2%0.4%13%

According to US News and World Report, 62% of Terra Nova's student body is "of color," with 22% of the student body coming from economically disadvantaged households, determined by student eligibility for California's Reduced-price meal program.[2]

Academics

Curriculum

Terra Nova offers Advanced Placement courses in US History, European History, Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Science, US Government, Language and Composition, Literature, Studio Art, Music Theory, and Calculus AB.

Standardized testing

In 2011, Terra Nova scored an API of 801, the sixth highest in San Mateo County. By 2013, the last year on record, the school had scored 792, the second highest in the Jefferson Union school district.[3]

The state of California replaced the API system with the California School Dashboard system in 2017, in order to provide "a fuller picture of how districts and schools are addressing the needs of their students while also identifying the specific strengths and areas in need of improvement."[4]

For the school year 2018-2019, Terra Nova scored 6.3 points above the state average in English Language Arts, but 40.4 points below standard in Math.[5] It ranked above average for both Campus Climate - with an annual suspension rate of 5.6% - and Academic Engagement - with a graduation rate (measured by the percentage who received a high school diploma within 4–5 years of entering 9th grade or completed their graduation requirements at an alternative school) of 94.7%.[5]

SAT Scores for 2013–2014 [6]
Critical Reading averageMath averageWriting average
Terra Nova High School 538553524
Jefferson Union District 503536500
San Mateo County 546576548
Statewide 492506489

Extracurricular activities
All-School Marching Band walking into Tiger Stadium in 2010.

Terra Nova has an award-winning marching band, which won first place in their division at the Foothill Band Review in 2007 and 2009. The marching band received the Sweepstakes award at the 2008 and 2009 Fog Fests. Most recently the marching band won 2nd place at championships 2016 in Napa

The Terra Nova drama department performs spring and fall productions, often produced in conjunction with directors from the local theatre company, the Pacifica Spindrift Players.

The school's student-run newspaper is the Terra Nova Times and has won awards from the Peninsula Press Club.

Terra Nova has had a team on the Bay Area's Quiz Kids show since the show's debut.

Terra Nova also offers a wide variety of sports, including football, baseball, cheer leading, badminton, cross country, tennis, track and field, water polo, swimming, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and wrestling. Numerous teams go to CCS and PAL championships yearly. The 1982 football team had a final ranking of third in the state of California for Division 3 football. The team ended with an 11-1 record.

Baseball has sent several players to the Majors, including Greg Reynolds, Bob McClure, and Keith Hernandez (11-time 1st Base Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner, Major League Baseball All-Star Game player, and hitting champ for several years).

Notable alumni
Rob Schneider

See also

References
  1. "Terra Nova High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  2. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/jefferson-union-high/terra-nova-high-2359/student-body
  3. http://api.cde.ca.gov/Acnt2014/apiavgSch.aspx?allcds=41689244137535
  4. "Academic Performance Index (API)". California Department of Education. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  5. "Terra Nova High". California School Dashboard. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  6. "SAT Report - District Level Scores". California Department of Education. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  7. http://www.sciencefriday.com/person/eugene-gu/
  8. Royals' coach McClure pride of County baseball, Oakland Tribune, August 22, 2007. "McClure and Hernandez played together at Terra Nova High before Hernandez transferred to Capuchino."

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